Bridge Project is dedicated to exposing the conservative movement’s dishonest tactics, dismantling its extreme ideology, and shining light on the moneyed special interests that fund it.

Archives: Research Reads

The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Issues

Organizations

The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Issues

Organizations

The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Issues

Organizations

The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” has released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Issues

Organizations

Crossroads GPS is running a new ad in Missouri accusing Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of supporting Medicare cuts and opposing tax cuts for the middle class. However, the savings in the Affordable Care Act do not ‘cut’ Medicare as Crossroads suggests, and the ad conveniently overlooks the important benefits for seniors in the law. In addition, before the compromise to extend all of the Bush tax cuts in late 2010, McCaskill supported an effort to preserve lower rates for all but the wealthiest Americans, but Republicans refused in order to protect wasteful tax cuts for the rich.

Issues

Organizations

Politicians & Pundits

Crossroads GPS attacks President Obama and Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) for supporting policies that inflated the debt. However, the Affordable Care Act will actually lower deficits, while the Recovery Act and auto bailout saved millions of jobs. In reality, the main drivers of our debt are Bush administration policies, including the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and the massive recession that President Obama inherited upon taking office.

Issues

Organizations

Politicians & Pundits

Conservatives like to accuse President Obama of ignoring immigration laws and failing to present a plan for fixing the immigration system. In fact, the president has a “Blueprint for Immigration Reform” on the White House website and has taken a series of concrete steps on immigration both through executive powers and requests of Congress. There are more Border Patrol agents than at any time in history, and illegal immigration has slumped to the lowest levels in many years (for a variety of reasons). The administration has sought to prioritize criminal aliens over those undocumented immigrants who pose no security threat, while successfully suing to block Arizona’s far-reaching immigration crackdown. And after Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act in 2010, the administration used executive action to aid hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who would have been eligible for legal status had that bill passed.

Conservatives Claim President Obama Refuses To Enforce Immigration Laws And Does Not Have A Plan For Reform

House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith: Obama Has “Ignored Our Immigration Laws” And “Encouraged More Illegal Immigration.” According to the Huffington Post: “‘Throughout the past three years, President Obama and his administration have ignored our immigration laws and have encouraged more illegal immigration by their actions,’ said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas). ‘President Obama has abused his executive branch authority to allow potentially millions of illegal immigrants to live and work in the U.S.’” [Huffington Post, 6/26/12]

Kobach: Obama “Isn’t Serious About Enforcing Our Immigration Laws.” According to Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a co-author of Arizona’s immigration crackdown: “Of course, the president long ago showed that he isn’t serious about enforcing our immigration laws. On taking office, he virtually ended work-site enforcement. That and other actions prompted ICE agents to take an unprecedented vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Obama appointee running the agency. Then, in 2010 and 2011, Obama had his Justice Department sue states (like Arizona) that were trying to help the federal government enforce the law.” [Kobach op-ed, New York Post, 6/21/12]

Organizations

Politicians & Pundits

Bridge Project launched a new Facebook Canvas ad drawing attention to the ongoing national security threat posed by Donald Trump’s close ties to Russia. The ad presents an immersive and detailed mobile account of Donald Trump and his administration’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin — an issue that highlights how careless Donald Trump has been with America’s national security.

“Donald Trump may have fired Michael Flynn, but there are far more questions than answers about what President Trump knew and when he knew it. This matter is not going away anytime soon, and we fully intend to use every resource at our disposal to ensure that the American people get answers,” said Shripal Shah, American Bridge Vice President.